[eee1111]

I also think with some eq, we could probably increase the bass quantity. Though, I’m not versed enough with EQ to try it out.

Have you tried roon?

It’s surprisingly easy to raise / lower the bass and treble.

 

[Ciggavelli]

Have you tried roon?

It’s surprisingly easy to raise / lower the bass and treble.

I tried a bit in the past and everything sounded off. I’ll give it a try again though

 

[Ciggavelli]

I've been listening to the CRBNs all day, and my brain is getting more and more used to them. They sound really good. Somebody mentioned a "wall of sound" effect, and I think I know what they mean. The image of the music is like a painting, where all of the sounds fit together nicely as a whole. Other headphones have a more topology map type sound, where you can more easily see different aspects and there is a bit more depth.

The wall of sound effect is nice though, and really shows the various aspects of the music in one cohesive whole. It is a bit more difficult to simply target in on a particular instrument with some more complex compositions, but the CRBNs show how well the pieces fit together.

The CRBNs are some of the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. I've had them on all day and haven't gotten a heat spot once. Also, I'm starting to understand the soundstage more now, and it actually is pretty wide (at least with my setup). I do wish there was a little more depth, but it's not a deal-breaker. The electrostatic bass continues to impress me. You can very easily hear bass guitars and bass drums. Electronic music and hip-hop sound pretty good actually, but other headphones do it better.

I listened to some albums with female vocals, and voices sound incredible to me. I think they are similar to the SR1as in that regard

Also, I tried the LCD-4 settings in Roon, and it did make everything sound thicker and the soundstage width increased. I like the non-eq sound better, as the resolution appears clearer

 

[BTD1]

Did you her any forwardness or emphasis in the mids?

 

[Ciggavelli]

Did you her any forwardness or emphasis in the mids?

Yes, I think there is a bit of forwardness with the mids. I need to do more comparisons with other headphones to better measure that difference though.

 

[BTD1]

On certain recordings the mid forwardness is more pronounced than on others. When I hear it I lower the EQ settings the 1 to 3k range and it brings it down. It's not there so much on very well recorded music. I think I am just particularly sensitive to these frequencies.

 

[jlbrach]

I've been listening to the CRBNs all day, and my brain is getting more and more used to them. They sound really good. Somebody mentioned a "wall of sound" effect, and I think I know what they mean. The image of the music is like a painting, where all of the sounds fit together nicely as a whole. Other headphones have a more topology map type sound, where you can more easily see different aspects and there is a bit more depth.

The wall of sound effect is nice though, and really shows the various aspects of the music in one cohesive whole. It is a bit more difficult to simply target in on a particular instrument with some more complex compositions, but the CRBNs show how well the pieces fit together.

The CRBNs are some of the most comfortable headphones I've ever worn. I've had them on all day and haven't gotten a heat spot once. Also, I'm starting to understand the soundstage more now, and it actually is pretty wide (at least with my setup). I do wish there was a little more depth, but it's not a deal-breaker. The electrostatic bass continues to impress me. You can very easily hear bass guitars and bass drums. Electronic music and hip-hop sound pretty good actually, but other headphones do it better.

I listened to some albums with female vocals, and voices sound incredible to me. I think they are similar to the SR1as in that regard

Also, I tried the LCD-4 settings in Roon, and it did make everything sound thicker and the soundstage width increased. I like the non-eq sound better, as the resolution appears clearer

interesting, what I most enjoy about the sr1a is the sense of space and ability to listen to each individual instrument in its proper place so easily

 

[Ciggavelli]

interesting, what I most enjoy about the sr1a is the sense of space and ability to listen to each individual instrument in its proper place so easily

It was really only an issue with complex, multi-instrument albums (like the new Mastodon album or the Stones’ Exile on Main Street).

Also, everything is still breaking in, so we’ll see if it changes in the coming weeks as I listen to them more.

I really like the CRBNs though. They are definitely impressing me, and provide a different kind of sound compared to my other headphones

 

[amsync]

Not having had too much time to listen this weekend I cannot share as much as I wanted, I will say that both the quantity and timbre of the low end continues to impress me and definitely is helping with certain tracks (e.g. more "modern" music and drums) where they do sound more accurate to me then on the X9K. That said, the X9K is definitely more open and spacious. As @Ciggavelli also noted, the CRBN are a comfortable headphone to wear, but they do clamp more than the X9K. This is not bothersome to me, and you just feel it as a snuggle fit. Note that the weather here this time of year is cold. I think this fit must also be important in how they achieve their bass. In contrast the X9K feel much more like the 009 did and are just a lot more "loose" fitting. I think Stax should think about this strongly. I would not be surprised if the X9K is capable of more/equal bass quantity with a mod here.

@Audeze I do also want to note that when my CRBN arrived the cable was not wrapped well. This caused some minor "kinks" in the cable that still have not completely come out. I would expect a bit better QA on this. It does not to my ear affect the headphones but at this level the cable should be flawless. I'm also curious when the extension cords are going to arrive? I remember you indicating at the launch that you'd make some, and I really would like to buy them from Audeze if the sizes available are better. The Stax (signature) extension cables are just so long (8 feet minimum) and I am not in need of much.

 

[DesignTaylor]

Some impressions and ramblings about thee CRBN:

 

[yangviolin]

I tried a bit in the past and everything sounded off. I’ll give it a try again though

How is Woo Wes going to sound like with Audeze CRBN? Here is a first Gen Woo Wes on Ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/133969168886?hash=item1f312f49f6:g:I6cAAOSwdPNhuhKe

 

[Ciggavelli]

How is Woo Wes going to sound like with Audeze CRBN? Here is a first Gen Woo Wes on Ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/133969168886?hash=item1f312f49f6:g:I6cAAOSwdPNhuhKe

I'm not sure. I've only tried the 3ES Elite (which I like a lot, but the tubes are super expensive). I think @number1sixerfan may have previously tried the WES (if I'm remembering correctly)

 

[rayofsi]

How is Woo Wes going to sound like with Audeze CRBN? Here is a first Gen Woo Wes on Ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/133969168886?hash=item1f312f49f6:g:I6cAAOSwdPNhuhKe

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/woo-wes-or-bhse.472265/page-11#post-14224582

As to Woo bashing, the original GES used output plate resistors, and was a decent amp for the price, based on a Kevin Gilmore design. The WES used output choke loading, which is a curious choice for electrostatic amps, since electrostatic headphones are extremely high impedance at low frequencies, just where chokes have their lowest impedance, resulting in poor power transfer, particularly since 50% of the power spectrum in music lies below 300-500 Hz. Reviews of its subjective qualities have been mixed. Given the record, I don't think that skepticism of a new design is unwarranted.

good luck with your sale. looks like the WES is a poor choice.

 

[number1sixerfan]

How is Woo Wes going to sound like with Audeze CRBN? Here is a first Gen Woo Wes on Ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/133969168886?hash=item1f312f49f6:g:I6cAAOSwdPNhuhKe

Haven't been able to try the CRBN with the WES, got rid of it a few months back. But it would probably benefit better from an amp that's a bit more open and slightly brighter given the CRBN's warmth and slightly closed in/intimate sound. But haven't been able to hear them.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/woo-wes-or-bhse.472265/page-11#post-14224582


good luck with your sale. looks like the WES is a poor choice.

You should probably hear the amp before making a strong statement like that. The WES comes within like 90% of the BHSE's performance at around $1500 on the used market. If grabbed at the right price, it certainly is not a poor choice--depending on what you pair with it.

 

[rayofsi]

Haven't been able to try the CRBN with the WES, got rid of it a few months back. But it would probably benefit better from an amp that's a bit more open and slightly brighter given the CRBN's warmth and slightly closed in/intimate sound. But haven't been able to hear them.



You should probably hear the amp before making a strong statement like that. The WES comes within like 90% of the BHSE's performance at around $1500 on the used market. If grabbed at the right price, it certainly is not a poor choice--depending on what you pair with it.

Sorry, didn't mean to come off as judging the amp, I quoted and interpreted. How would you rate the WES compares to other diy amps like the kgsshv , kgsshv carbon etc?

I doubt I'll buy another amp, I have a kgsshv, 2 kgsshv carbons and a T2 . Just got my crbn yesterday, waiting for them to acclimatize.